The one hour event will be held at 6:30 p.m., Sept. 4 and aired live on the local access Channel 5 television station. Lee Pouliot, planner and administrator for the Community Development Department, and Joel McAuliffe, director of communications for the mayor’s office, will host the event and there will be guest speakers and performances.

A group of volunteers will man the phones to take donations.

“This is our first telethon. I don’t know how it will go,” McAuliffe said.

The city has received a private grant from the non-profit KaBOOM! organization, which has pledged $20,000 to purchase new playground equipment for Nash Field. City Officials have committed to providing $5,000 of the needed funds and are hoping residents will commit another $5,000 for the project.

The city is accepting pledges online through citizinvestor. It has an early November deadline to raise the money. So far a total of $590 has been donated.

To receive the grant, the city must show community involvement. That will include having a group of volunteers help assemble the equipment on Aug. 29 and 30. Those interested in assisting should contact the Parks and Recreation director Carolyn Porter by email at cporter@chicopeema.gov or call the department at 594-3481.

People can pledge money through citizinvestor. No donation is too small, Mayor Richard J. Kos said.